Standoff between Karnataka, Centre over PMJAY SC scheme funding

A standoff between the Karnataka state government and the Centre over funding for the Ayushman Bharat Senior Citizens Scheme is leaving elderly citizens in distress, a CNN-NEWS18 report said.

The ongoing delay is forcing senior citizens to pay hefty amounts at private hospitals as the state stalls the scheme’s implementation.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao voiced concerns, saying, “We are paying 75% while the Centre is paying 25%. It’s a burden on the state.”

The Ayushman Bharat scheme was designed to provide affordable healthcare for senior citizens. However, due to this funding dispute, many elderly citizens are unable to access the promised benefits.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), is a healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2018.

This initiative aims to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to economically weaker sections of society.

The scheme offers a maximum sum insured amount of ₹5 lakh/year, covering most medical treatment costs, medications, diagnostics and pre-hospitalisation expenses.

It offers cashless hospitalisation services through the Ayushman health card, which is usable at any empanelled hospital. Recently, the scheme has been expanded to include all senior citizens above 70 years of age, regardless of their socio-economic background, who will also receive health coverage. CNBCTV18